


On the Nature of Daylight

by Akoya8



Series: On the Nature of a Bitter Earth [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Child Abuse, Childhood, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-20
Updated: 2013-11-07
Packaged: 2017-12-30 00:27:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 2,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1011855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akoya8/pseuds/Akoya8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The relationship between Severus and Lily, from the time of their meeting, to their Fifth Year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

Meeting  
  
Meeting Lily Evans for the first time could only be measured against his first taste of ice cream.

She was sweet (and slightly sticky, as all children inexplicably are) and the feeling of watching her go could be equated with the sorrow that he felt when he realized that the ice cream was gone. Moreover, he had been in such a rush to revel in the new experience of having a friend that he forgot to savor the moments that he had with her.

When he got home that first day, he decided that he had a new favorite color:  Green, like the color of her eyes when they shone with happiness. Was there such a thing as an ice cream that had that same color of green?


	2. Trouble

Trouble  
  
“But Lil, I’ll get into trouble!”

She did not hear him; she never heard him. Whenever there was some new adventure afoot the only thing Lily could hear was the wind rushing through her hair and the ideas that would run rampant through her overly excited mind.

“I really will Lily! She said that he’ll be back early tonight and I have to be home!”

But, she kept on running, and because she looked so pretty when she ran he didn’t have the heart to keep on shouting. The beating would be worth it, he finally concluded, it’ll be worth it if she just turns around and smiles at me. And she did. It was worth it.


	3. Magic

Magic

“Sev! Sev, it came, it finally came!” He turned and found that she was waving a piece of parchment under his nose.

“Lil, contrary to popular belief, I am not a bat, and therefore not blind.”

“Sev, you know Tuney didn’t mean it!” Lily bit her lip, always a sure sign that she was lying.

“Then why did she say it? You know just as well as I that she said it to be spiteful, and she wanted to get back at us for not playing with her again.”

“Oh, let’s not argue Sev, not on such a great day!” She had the pleading look on her face, the one he could never resist.

“Alright Lil, what finally came?”

“My letter! My letter to Hogwarts, it has a book list, supplies that I’ll need and a ticket to King’s Cross Station. That one is a little odd though, I don’t know if it got the platform right.”

She was glowing with excitement, and in the face of her happiness, he lost the desire to tell her that he had received one as well. Except, his letter was tossed into the fireplace the moment the owl dropped it, and he and his mother had to suffer the anger of his father. But, thankfully, the bruises weren’t where Lily could see them.

“That’s great Lil! My letter should be coming any day now!”

His mother explained to him afterwards that Hogwarts would deliver the letter until it was received so, hopefully, the next would be delivered when his father was out of the house.


	4. Shopping

Shopping

She had come back from Diagon Alley brimming with excitement, her eyes sparkling, and waving her new wand under his nose. He was half-afraid that she might accidentally hex it off, but then she brought it back beneath her own eyes to examine it again.

“Isn’t it beautiful Severus! ‘ _Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow_ , _’_ and it has unicorn hair as the core! Mr. Ollivander (that’s the man who runs the wand shop) said that it was a good wand for charms work! I’m going to be the best in the class, I just know it!”

Once again, he had to bite his tongue before he ruined her joyous day. Because, the fact of the matter was, that everything that he would be taking to school with him when the term began on September 1, 1970 had belonged to his mother.

How she had managed to hide it from his father for so long, he would never know, but along with the books and the altered robes (that still had her Slytherin badge on them) he would also be receiving her wand. Ebony and dragon heartstring, twelve inches long.

She had told him not to expect too much from it because she had never been good in Charms or Transfiguration, but she’d said nothing about Defense Against the Dark Arts or Potions. Perhaps that was where the wand’s true potential lay. But, he wouldn’t find out until his first class. _Please God, or whatever, do not let me be humiliated in front of Lily! Please let my wand work! Please!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any quotes from the books are italicized and snuggled between quotation marks.


	5. Travelling

Travelling

At last, King’s Cross Station, platform nine and three-quarters. From here on, life could only get better and Lily would be there by his side in Slytherin house.

“Come one Lil, we’ll miss the train if we don’t hurry!”

He was too excited to wait and say goodbye to his mum, and he couldn’t wait to drag Lily away from her awful sister. Then suddenly, Lily was by his side, eyes brimming with delight at the thought of what awaited them. They raced headlong through the barrier and there it was, The Hogwarts Express.

Now it was Lily’s turn to take the lead, “Come on Sev! Let’s check our baggage in and find a compartment! We’re going to Hogwarts!”


	6. First Encounter

First Encounter

The compartment that they found already had two occupants who gave them a glance before going back to their conversation.

“ _You’d better be in Slytherin_ ,” he said, hoping beyond hope that she would choose to be with him. Then he heard the boy in the spectacles speak, and it seemed that he wouldn’t have to hope.

If that prat made it into Gryffindor, then Lily would definitely choose Slytherin just to spite him! But, that other boy’s parting shot, “ _See ya, Snivellus_ ,” would stay with him for a long time, he just knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Direct quotations are italicized and snuggled between quotation marks.


	7. Sorting

Sorting

It was time.

The severe looking professor had led them into the Great Hall to the stool on which a raggedy old hat was sitting. The unremarkable appearance of the Hat belied its power and it suddenly burst into song, but, because he didn’t know what to listen for, the only thing he really heard was the Hat’s description of Slytherin:  cunning, ambitious, and thirsting for power.

 _Yes, that’s what I want! I want to become powerful enough to protect Lily! Powerful enough to protect my mother from that filthy Muggle who calls himself my father! I can do it if I’m in Slytherin and Lily can help me!_ While he was busy with such thoughts Lily had moved to the front of the line and focused on the Hat with renewed intensity.

 _Slytherin, please Slytherin!_ But the Hat shouted “Gryffindor!” and his hopes turned to dust.

 _Maybe, once I learn, I can transfigure the insignia on mum’s old robes. I can be in Gryffindor, I don’t need to be in Slytherin as long as I’m with her!_ All too soon it was his turn to put on the Hat. _Please, please, put me in Gryffindor! I need to be with Lily, she’s the only friend I have! I can be a Gryffindor, I swear!_

“Gryffindor, hmm? I’m not so sure you have the heart of a Gryffindor, my lad, you seem to be one of the Slytherins. You could do very well in Slytherin you know, and there are friends to be made there. Powerful friends who can help you reach your goals.”

_No, you stupid hat! I don’t care about any of that unless she’s with me! I don’t care about power, or being important, I just care about her!_

“Then I’m sorry. But you don’t have the heart of a Gryffindor yet, and without it I can’t place you in that house. And as you’re unfit for Hufflepuff and far too cunning to be in Ravenclaw, the only place I can put you is SLYTHERIN!”

And that was that. It was over. He could never be with her again, at least not in the way that he had grown accustomed. But maybe she wouldn’t mind that, and maybe they could still be together. Maybe.


	8. Potions and Dark Arts

Potions and Dark Arts

The term officially began and the first class that he had was Potions, and the best part was that he was to be with Lily again. First year Gryffindors and Slytherins were to share not only Potions, but Defense Against the Dark Arts as well.

He thanked whatever benevolent being was in charge of scheduling. The professor of Potions was a corpulent man, who looked not unlike a walrus with his large head and tusk-like mustache. He told them that they would be learning how to make poisons that rivaled curses with their ability to kill and healing draughts that made charm-work unnecessary.

Severus could feel Lily practically vibrating in her seat as she quivered with excitement. He could tell that in _this_ class she would probably reign supreme, but that didn’t mean he would do poorly by comparison. No, instead he would shine next to her because he was just as brilliant.

Their next class was double Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Severus was hit with the sudden knowledge that this was where he belonged. With the first spell that he cast, “ _Expelliarmus_!” and he felt his mum’s wand respond, he knew.

But he also knew that he was not alone in his ability. The two black haired boys that had teased him on the train shared it with him. Potter and Black. His rivals from the start and he had a sinking feeling in his stomach that indicated things between them could only get worse.


	9. Fifth Year

Fifth Year

Their fifth year began with promise. He and Lily had finally convinced Slughorn to let them have a copy of the Sixth Year Potions book. They had told him that they wanted to get a head start on his N.E.W.T.S. class, and he had relented because he knew that they could pass their O.W.L.S. blindfolded.

And so, they began. Together they modified the Potions textbook (honestly, who wouldn’t think that crushing the sopophorous bean would produce more juice?), and in its margins, Severus was putting his talent for Defense to the test. He had been displeased, not only with the quality of the professors who changed from year to year, but also with the quality of spells that they being taught.

He argued back and forth with Lily on the subject. She believed that the instruction was appropriate to their age and skill level. He argued back that if that was true, then why were they correcting the Sixth Year Potions book? A satisfactory conclusion had yet to be reached, but Lily eventually consented that the curses and spells that Severus was inventing were genius and very useful.

The year took a downturn when the fights between Severus and the ‘Marauders’ increased in frequency and viciousness.

Lily didn’t believe him when he told her that Black had set up that prank in order to kill him, and that Potter had been in on it, but had backed out at the last minute due to cold feet. He could tell even then that she was slipping further away from him. His other ‘friends’ in Slytherin house disgusted her. She didn’t understand was that the changing political climate in Slytherin made it impossible to sleep safely at night unless you were ‘friends’ with the right people.

No, she was a sheltered Gryffindor who hadn’t a single clue about the things that Severus had done to keep her safe from his fellow Slytherins. Instead, she was happy to worship Potter, the boy who had ‘saved’ his life. And, as if things weren’t already bad enough, Lily had to go and let slip to one of her friends a spell of Severus’ own creation from the book of the Half-Blood Prince.

On that same day, some invisible force was stringing up people in the halls, and since the spell was cast non-verbally, nobody could tell who the culprit was. Unless those prats, the Marauders, were in the hallway, and then everyone knew whom to blame.

“How could you Lily? Those spells were for us! Not for those foul little gits!”

“It was an accident, Sev! She caught me practicing it one day on a rat and she wouldn’t shut up until I told her! I didn’t know that she would spread it all over the common room!” He knew that she was just making excuses. That particular friend of hers was known as one of the biggest rumormongers in Gryffindor house.

But...how could he not forgive her? After all, she was still the only friend he had.


End file.
